Pipe support for use in a heating device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a pipe support for supporting a pipe in the interior of a heating device, such as a boiler, comprising a flat carrying arm extending in a vertical plane. The carrying arm extends through the wall of the heating device and is rotatably mounted on a horizontal transverse shaft outside the heating device. The carrying arm can be turned outside of the heater, detached and replaced without interruption of operation.

Mate States Patent 1 1 1111 3,844,515

K1101 1 Oct. 29, 1974 [54] PIPE SUPPORT FOR USE IN A HEATING 2,111,918 3/1938 Moore 248/232 DEVICE 2,187,984 1/1940 Moore 248/234 2,355,800 8/1944 Hensel 122/510 Inventor: Hen cus Joa e Knol, Voorburg. 2,652,037 9/1953 Lewis et al 122/510 Netherlands 2,965,153 12/1960 Purcell 248/240.l 1 1 Assignee= g hummus Company, Bloomfield, 3:533:11? Z1333 151251151311: ii/Z2? l FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [22] 1973 154,460 12/1920 Great Britain [21] Appl. N0.: 338,889

Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant ExaminerRodney H. Bonck [3O] Forelgn Apphcatlon Pnomy Data Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Richard J. Holton; Joel G.

Mar. 14, 1972 Netherlands 7203369 A k Ali L ch H A [52] US. Cl 248/71, 122/510, 248/49, 57 ABSTRACT 51 I t Cl F52 The invention relates to a pipe support for supporting Ed. 3 232 a pipe in the interior of a heating device, such as a 68 lagtiegglcggensmg a flat carrymg arm extendmg 1n a The carrymg arm extends through the wall of the [56] References Cited fiea tingtatlievice and hisft rotatablyth mrpurited don a or1zon ransverse s 21 cu s1 e e ea mg ev1ce. UNITED STATES PATENTS The carrying arm can be turned outside of the heater, 1,662,967 3/1928 Foresman 122/6 A detached and replaced without interruption of 1,787,038 12/1930 Geoffray 248/233 0 eration 1,853,056 4/1932 Hosbein 248/49 X p 1,883,123 10/1932 Trainer et a1 122/510 14 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PIPE SUFPORT FOR USE IN A HEATING DEVICE BACKGROUND It is well known in the art that in a certain heating device, serpentine tubes close to the wall are'held by pipe support. In the known pipe supports of this kind the carrying arms are internally secured to the wall of the heating device. These carrying arms, which attain a very high temperature during operation, have only a limited life since they are subject to a very strong corrosion which is due, in particular, by metals present in the liquid fuel fired in the heating device and deposited on the carrying arms in the form of ashes. In particular, the vanadium, present in the liquid fuel, is converted into vanadium pentoxide which may be liquid especially in the presence of sodium compounds, and which is found to be the most important cause of the corrosion of the carrying arms. Even if very resistant alloys are used as a material for carrying arms, such as an alloy of 50 percent chromium and 50 percent nickel, the carrying arms are attacked after relatively short time to such an extent, that they must be replaced.

- This involves the serious disadvantage that the heating device must be put out of operation during a relatively long time, so that the replacement may be carried out in the interior of the heating device after a cooling period.

It is the object of the invention to provide a pipe support to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantage in a simple and effective manner.

A further object is to provide means to replace the pipe support without interrupting operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention the carrying arm of a pipe support extends with a slight play through the wall of the heating device and is rotatably suspended on a horizontal transverse shaft outside the heating device, the carrying arm being detachably connected with said horizontal transverse shaft, so that it may be replaced outside the heating device.

In this manner it is rendered possible to turn a corroded carrying arm to the outside until it extends entirely outside the heating device, after which the carrying arm may be detached and replaced by a new carrying arm which is subsequently turned to the inside into the heating device. During the last portion of this rotatory movement the carrying arm engages the pipe to be supported, even if the same should have sagged in the meantime, so that the pipe is again supported in the correct position.

Thus, the heating device need not be put out of operation during the replacement of the carrying arm, since no labor has to be carried out in the interior of the heating device.

In a first embodiment of the invention the carrying arm is blocked against an undesired rotation by means of a releasable locking member adapted to be operated outside the heating device.

The pipe support according to the invention has the important additional advantage that it may be carried out as an alternative in such manner that a torque is exslight movements which may be of importance, for instance, if the pipe support is arranged in the vicinity of the fixed inlet or outlet portion of the pipe. It is, of course, possible to support a pipe by a plurality of carrying arms, of which only a few are rotatable during operation, while the other ones are in a blocked position.

The invention will be further explained by reference to the drawing, in which some embodiments of a pipe support according to the invention have been shown.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a vertical cross-section according to the plane I--I in FIG. 2 of a first embodiment of the pipe support according to the invention, wherein the carrying arm is blocked against rotation.

FIG. 2 shows a side-view of the pipe support shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-section according to the line "I- -III in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a vertical cross-section of a modification of the pipe support according to the invention, which may be rotated during operation.

FIG. 5 shows partially in a vertical cross-section and partially in a side-view a further embodiment of the pipe support according to the invention.

FIG. 6 shows a fragmentary view of FIG. 4 with a spring instead.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The pipe support shown in FIGS. 1-3 serves to support a bundle of pipes comprising vertical pipe sections 1 arranged in the interior of a heating device, such as a boiler.

The pipe support comprises a flat carrying arm 2 extending in a vertical plane and provided at its upper edge 3 with a recess 4 supporting a bend at the top of the pipe 1. The carrying arm 2 extends with a slight play through the wall 5 of the heating device, which comprises flat metallic plates 5' on the outside and a layer 5" of masonry on the inside.

The carrying arm 2 fits between two parallel carrying strips 6. In order to attach the carrying arm to the strips 6, use is made of bolts 7 provided with nuts and extending through aligned bores in the strips 6 and in the carrying arm 2. Instead of bores, the strips may also contain holes that are elongated in the longitudinal direction of the strips, in order that the carrying arm 2 may be adjusted with respect to the strips.

The strips 6 are interconnected by a transverse rib 8 extending underneath the carrying arm 2 and welded to both strips 6.

At their top ends the strips 6 are detachably and rotatably supported on a horizontal transverse shaft 9. The shaft 9 extends through two ears 10 arranged on the outside of the tops of the strips 6 and fixed to an upper comer profile 11, such as angle iron, externally welded to the plates 5' of the wall 5 of the heating device.

The horizontal transverse shaft 9 is provided at one of its ends with a head 9' engaging one of the ears 10, whereas the other end, which extends freely outside of the other ear 10, is provided with a transverse bore, in which a split pin 12 has been inserted as a detachable securing means.

The strips 6 may be latched by a releasable latching member in a substantially vertical position by means of a horizontal bolt 13 extending through a bore of the plates 5 of the wall 5 of the heating device and by means of an aligned bore in a lower corner profile 14 welded to the plates 5'. The bolt 13 extends to the outside between the strips 6 and carries an annular blocking plate 15, which is locked by means of a nut 16 screwed onto the bolt 13 and provided with a handle. The blocking plate 15 engages the lower part of the strips 6 on the side remote from the heating device.

A spacing ring 17 arranged on the bolt 13 is enclosed in the latched position of the strips 6 between the lower corner profile l4 and the strips. By a suitable selection of the thickness of the spacing ring 17 the correct end position of the carrying arm 2 may be obtained, in which position the carrying arm is blocked by the cooperation of the strips 6, the bolt 13, the blocking plate 15 and the nut 16.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 13 the axis of the horizontal transverse shaft 9 and the horizontal centerline 18 of the pipe section engaged by the carrying arm lie substantially in a common horizontal plane.

The lower edge 19 of the opening in the wall 5, through which the carrying arm extends, lies in a cylindrical surface of which the axis coincides with the axis of the horizontal transverse shaft 9. The lower edge 20 of the carrying arm 2 lies in a cylindrical surface, of which the axis coincides with the axis of the horizontal transverse shaft 9 as far as the lower portion of the carrying arm cooperating with the opening in the wall is concerned, while the lower edge of the remaining portion lies either on said cylindrical surface or inside the same.

In order to obtain a slight play between the carrying arm 2 and the masonry layer 5" of the wall of the heating device paper, in particular kraft paper, is wrapped around the carrying arm before the masonry 5" is erected. After the paper has been burnt a sufficient play occurs between the carrying arm and the masonry 5" to enable the carrying arm 2 to expand slightly when it is heated during the operation.

When the carrying arm 2 has been corroded to such an extent that it must be replaced, the nut 16 is loosened, after which the strips 6 may be turned to the outside together with the carrying arm clamped between the strips until the carrying arm is entirely outside of the wall 5 of the heating device. After that, the split pin 12 is removed and the horizontal transverse shaft 9 is slid out of the ears 10, so that the strips 6 and the intermediate carrying arm 2 are relased. After removal of the bolts 7 the corroded carrying arm 2 may be removed and replaced by a new carrying arm, which is secured between the strips 6 by means of the bolts 7, after which the strips 6 are rotatably suspended on the horizontal transverse shaft 9. After that, the strips 6 are turned to the inside of the heating device together with the carrying arm 2 in such manner, that the recess 4 in the top edge 3 of the carrying arm 2 engages the bend of the pipe 1 during the last portion of its rotation, even if the pipe bend should have slightly sagged.

As soon as the lower ends of the strips 6 abut against the spacing ring 17, so that the carrying arm 2 has resumed its correct position, the annular blocking plate 15 is engaged with the strips 6 by means of the nut 16, so that the carrying arm 2 is again blocked in its correct position.

Although in many cases no special sealing measures are necessary in view of the small play between the flat side faces 21 and the rounded lower edge of the carrying arm on one hand and the opening in the wall 5 of the heating device on the other hand, it is possible to arrange a gasket 22 on both sides of the opening in the wall 5 of the heating device between the wall 5 and a washer 23 welded to the strips 6 and laterally standing outside of these strips. The gasket material 22 may be connected with the washer 23.

FIG. 4 shows a modification of the pipe support according to the invention, in which the carrying am 2 is also rotatable during the operation, which may be of importance, for instance, if the carrying arm 2 is arranged in the vicinity of the fixed inlet or outlet portion of the bundle of pipes.

For this purpose, substantially triangular carriers 24 are provided instead of the strips 6, which are again interconnected by means of a transverse rib 8 and between which the carrying arm 2 is secured by means of the bolts 7. The triangular carrying plates 24 are detachably and rotatably suspended with their top ends on the horizontal transverse shaft 9 in the same manner as the strips 6 in the embodiment according to the FIGS. 1-3.

A force is exerted on the carrying plates 24 on the side of the horizontal transverse shaft 9, which is remote from the heating device, the said force having a vertical downwardly directed component. It is possible, for instance, to suspend a weight 31 on the carrying plates 24 at 25; as an alternative, the force may also be exerted by a spring (32) as shown in FIG. 6 or the like. Due to said force, a torque is exerted on the carrying arm 2 through the intermediary of the carrying plates 24 and the bolts 7, so that the carrying arm is loaded in the direction to the interior of the heating device.

In this embodiment it is also possible to provide a gasket (not shown) on both sides of the opening in the wall 5 between this wall and a washer (not shown), which may again be connected to the wall 5, for instance, by means of bolts.

When after some time the carrying arm 2 is corroded to such an extent that it must be replaced, the carrying plates 24 are turned in an upward direction until the carrying arm lies entirely outside the heating device. After that, the carrying arm may be removed and a new carrying arm may be mounted in the above-described manner.

FIG. 5 shows two pipe supports according to the invention lying one behind the other in a staggered fashion and adapted to support a bundle of pipes having horizontal pipe sections 26. In view of the limited space between successive horizontal pipes, the axis of the horizontal transverse shaft 27, on which the carrying plates 24 are suspended, is not arranged in the same plane as the horizontal axis 29 of the pipe section engaged by the carrying arm 28, but at a higher level spaced above the plane of the axis of the pipe section at a distance of about three times the pipe diameter.

In this manner, the height of the carrying arm 28 may be reduced, so that it may be brought outside the heating device by a rotation of the carrying plates 24 through an angle of about 45.

Of course, the construction of the carrying arm 2 according to FIGS. 1-4, wherein the carrying arm is rotated through an angle of has the advantage as compared with the construction according to FIG. 5

that the recess 4 in the upper edge 3 of the carrying arm 2 moves in a substantially vertical direction during the last portionof the rotation to the inside, whereby the engagement with the pipe section and the lifting of the pipe section to the correct position is facilitated.

Both strips 6 (FIGS. 1-3) and the carrying plates 24 (FIGS. 4-5) have a rounded upper portion 30, through which the horizontal transverse shaft 9, or 27 respectively, extends centrally.

Although in the embodiment according to FIG. 5 the carrying arm 28 is rotatable during the operation, it is also possible to combine the carrying arm 28 with the strips 6 shown in FIGS. 1-3.

in the embodiment according to FIG. 5 the carrying arm 28 may also be detached and replaced by a new carrying arm outside the heating device after corrosion.

those skilled in the art within the spirit and proper scope of the invention. The invention is therefore not to be construed as limited, except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A pipe support for supporting a pipe from underneath in the interior of a heating device definedv by walls, in such a way as to permit the removal of the pipe support without interrupting the operation of the heating device, comprising a carrying arm extending in a vertical plane, characterized in that the carrying arm extends through the wall of the heating device by way of an opening therein and is rotatably suspended on a horizontal transverse shaft having an axis, said horizontal transverse shaft being located outside the heating device, the carrying arm being detachably connected to said horizontal transverse shaft, and the carrying arm being blocked against rotation by a releasable latching member outside the heating device.

2. A pipe support for supporting a pipe from underneath in the interior of a heating device defined by walls, in such a way as to permit the removalof the pipe support without interrupting the operation of the heat ing device, comprising a carrying arm extending in a vertical plane, characterized in that the carrying arm extends through the wall of the heating device by way of an opening therein and is rotatably suspended ona horizontal transverse shaft having an axis, outside the heating device, the carryingarm beingdet'achably connected to said horizontal transverse shaft, and means for exerting a torque on the carrying, arm loading the same in the direction toward the interior of theheating device.

3. A pipe support for supporting a pipe having an;

axis, from underneath in the interior ofa heating'device' having walls, in such a way as to permit theremoval'of wall of the heating device by way of an opening therein' and is rotatably suspended on a horizontal transverse shaft having an axis, said shaft being outside the heating device, the carrying arm being detachably connected with said horizontal transverse shaft, and the pipesupport further characterized in that the axis of the pipe section engaged by the carrying arm and the axis of the horizontal transverse shaft lie in a common substantially horizontal plane.

4. A pipe support for supporting a pipe having an axis, from underneath in the interiorof a heating device having walls, in such a way as to permit the removal of the pipe support without interrupting the operation of the heating device, comprising a carrying arm extending in a vertical plane, having an upper edge with a recess for supporting the pipe and a lower edge, characterized in that the carrying arm extends through the wall of the heating device by way of an opening therein andis rotatably suspended on a horizontal transverse shaft having an axis, said shaft being outside the heating device, the carrying arm being detachably connected with said horizontal transverse shaft, and the pipe support further characterized in that the axis of the horizontal transverse shaft lies at a higher level than the axis of the pipe section engaged by the carrying arm.

5. A pipe support for supporting a pipe having an axis,from underneath in the interior of a heating device having walls, in such a way as to permit the removal of the pipe support without interrupting the operationof the heating device, comprising a carrying arm extending in a vertical plane, having an upper edge with a recess for supporting the pipe anda lower edge, characterized. in that the carrying arm extends through the wall of the heating device by way of an opening therein and is rotatably suspended on a horizontal transverse shaft havingan axis, said shaft being outside the heating device, the carrying arm being detachably connected with said horizontal transverse shaft, and the pipe support further characterized in that the lower edge of the carrying arm lies at least partially on and for the rest inside a cylindrical surface co-axial with the horizontal transverse shaft; said lower edge being rotatable relatively to the lower edge of the opening in the wall of the heating device through which the carrying arm extends, said lower edge of the opening lying on the same cylindrical surface co-axial with the horizontal transverse shaft.

6. A-pipe support for supporting a pipe from underneath in the interior of a heating device defined by walls, in such a way as to permit the removal of the pipe support without interrupting the operation of the heating device, comprising a carrying arm extending in a vertical plane, characterized in that the carrying arm extends through the wall of the heating device by way of anopening therein and is rotatably, suspended on a horizontal transverse shaft having an" axis, said' shaft being outside the heating device, the carrying arm being detachably connected to said horizontal transverse'shaft, said carrying arm being attached to a carrier having an upperend, saidcarrier being detachably and rotatablyc'onnected to said horizontal shaft at a point adjacent tothe upper end of said carrier. g,

7". A pipe support according to cla'irn 2' further characterized in that the'carryirigarm is attached to a carrier having an upper end, said carrier being detachably and rotatably connected to said horizontal shaft at a point adjacent to the upper end of said carrier.

81 A pipe support accordingto claim 6, furthercharacterized in that'the horizontal transverse shaft is detachably supported by at least one fixed ear adjacent to the upper end of said carrier.

9. A pipe support according to claim 6 further comprising a plurality of carriers, said carriers being interconnected by at least one transverse rib.

10. A pipe support according to claim 6, wherein the carrier is strip-shaped; the carrying arm is blocked by a releasable latching member; and the releasable latching member comprises a bolt supported by the wall of the heating device said bolt being placed between two carriers and a blocking plate secured to said bolt by fastening means and engaging the carriers to latch the arm in locked position.

11. A pipe support according to claim 7, further characterized in that the carrier is plate-shaped and loaded by means of a weight.

12. A pipe support according to claim 7, further characterized in that the carrier is plate-shaped and loaded by means of a spring.

13. A pipe support as claimed in claim 10, further characterized in that a gasket is enclosed between the wall of the heating device and a washer on both sides of the opening in the wall, through which the carrying arm extends, and the washer is fixed by the carriers in their blocked position.

14. A pipe support assembly comprising a plurality of pipe supports as claimed in claim 11, arranged in a staggered position to support a bundle of pipes having horizontal pipe sections at successive levels.

* II k k 

1. A pipe support for supporting a pipe from underneath in the interior of a heating device defined by walls, in such a way as to permit the removal of the pipe support without interrupting the operation of the heating device, comprising a carrying arm extending in a vertical plane, characterized in that the carrying arm extends through the wall of the heating device by way of an opening therein and is rotatably suspended on a horizontal transverse shaft having an axis, said horizontal transverse shaft being located outside the heating device, the carrying arm being detachably connected to said horizontal transverse shaft, and the carrying arm being blocked against rotation by a releasable latching member outside the heating device.
 2. A pipe support for supporting a pipe from underneath in the interior of a heating device defined by walls, in such a way as to permit the removal of the pipe support without interrupting the operation of the heating device, comprising a carrying arm extending in a vertical plane, characterized in that the carrying arm extends through the wall of the heating device by way of an opening therein and is rotatably suspended on a horizontal transverse shaft having an axis, outside the heating device, the carrying arm being detachably connected to said horizontal transverse shaft, and means for exerting a torque on the carrying arm loading the same in the direction toward the interior of the heating device.
 3. A pipe support for supporting a pipe having an axis, from underneath in the interior of a heating device having walls, in such a way as to permit the removal of the pipe support without interrupting the operation of the heating device, comprising a carrying arm extending in a vertical plane, having an upper edge with a recess for supporting the pipe and a lower edge, characterized in that the carrying arm extends through the wall of the heating device by way of an opening therein and is rotatably suspended on a horizontal transverse shaft having an axis, said shaft being outside the heating device, the carrying arm being detachably connected with said horizontal transverse shaft, and the pipe support further characterized in that the axis of the pipe section engaged by the carrying arm and the axis of the horizontal transverse shaft lie in a common substantially horizontal plane.
 4. A pipe support for supporting a pipe having an axis, from underneath in the interior of a heating device having walls, in such a way as to permit the removal of the pipe support without interrupting the operation of the heating device, comprising a carrying arm extending in a vertical plane, having an upper edge with a recess for supporting the pipe and a lower edge, characterized in that the carrying arm extends through the wall of the heating device by way of an opening therein and is rotatably suspended on a horizontal transverse shaft having an axis, said shaft being outside the heating device, the carrying arm being detachably connected with said horizontal transverse shaft, and the pipe support further characterized in that the axis of the horizontal transverse shaft lies at a higher level than the axis of the pipe section engaged by the carrying arm.
 5. A pipe support for supporting a pipe having an axis, from underneath in the interior of a heating device having walls, in such a way as to permit the removal of the pipe support without interrupting the operation of the heating device, comprising a carrying arm extending in a vertical plane, having an upper edge with a recess for supporting the pipe and a lower edge, characterized in that the carrying arm extends through the wall of the heating device by way of an opening therein and is rotatably suspended on a horizontal transverse shaft having an axis, said shaft being outside the heating device, the carrying arm being detachably connected with said horizontal transverse shaft, and the pipe support further characterized in that the lower edge of the carrying arm lies at least partially on and for the rest inside a cylindrical surface co-axial with the horizontAl transverse shaft; said lower edge being rotatable relatively to the lower edge of the opening in the wall of the heating device through which the carrying arm extends, said lower edge of the opening lying on the same cylindrical surface co-axial with the horizontal transverse shaft.
 6. A pipe support for supporting a pipe from underneath in the interior of a heating device defined by walls, in such a way as to permit the removal of the pipe support without interrupting the operation of the heating device, comprising a carrying arm extending in a vertical plane, characterized in that the carrying arm extends through the wall of the heating device by way of an opening therein and is rotatably suspended on a horizontal transverse shaft having an axis, said shaft being outside the heating device, the carrying arm being detachably connected to said horizontal transverse shaft, said carrying arm being attached to a carrier having an upper end, said carrier being detachably and rotatably connected to said horizontal shaft at a point adjacent to the upper end of said carrier.
 7. A pipe support according to claim 2 further characterized in that the carrying arm is attached to a carrier having an upper end, said carrier being detachably and rotatably connected to said horizontal shaft at a point adjacent to the upper end of said carrier.
 8. A pipe support according to claim 6, further characterized in that the horizontal transverse shaft is detachably supported by at least one fixed ear adjacent to the upper end of said carrier.
 9. A pipe support according to claim 6 further comprising a plurality of carriers, said carriers being interconnected by at least one transverse rib.
 10. A pipe support according to claim 6, wherein the carrier is strip-shaped; the carrying arm is blocked by a releasable latching member; and the releasable latching member comprises a bolt supported by the wall of the heating device said bolt being placed between two carriers and a blocking plate secured to said bolt by fastening means and engaging the carriers to latch the arm in locked position.
 11. A pipe support according to claim 7, further characterized in that the carrier is plate-shaped and loaded by means of a weight.
 12. A pipe support according to claim 7, further characterized in that the carrier is plate-shaped and loaded by means of a spring.
 13. A pipe support as claimed in claim 10, further characterized in that a gasket is enclosed between the wall of the heating device and a washer on both sides of the opening in the wall, through which the carrying arm extends, and the washer is fixed by the carriers in their blocked position.
 14. A pipe support assembly comprising a plurality of pipe supports as claimed in claim 11, arranged in a staggered position to support a bundle of pipes having horizontal pipe sections at successive levels. 